®Planning appeal decision
Land South of Hamstreet Road, Hamstreet, TN26 2NR
Planning appeal 3360094 at Land South of Hamstreet Road, Hamstreet, TN26 2NR (Ashford Borough Council) was dismissed on 3 November 2025 by Inspector Watson S, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the site is a suitable location for development having regard to local and national policy for housing and accessibility.
Outline application for the construction of up to 140 new homes, formation of new accesses from Hamstreet Road, green infrastructure including landscape planting, habitat creation and open space, drainage infrastructure including a new pumping station, pe destrian and cycle routes, and associated works and infrastructure with all matters reserved save for access (excluding internal circulation)
- Authority
- Ashford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Watson S
- Postcode
- TN26 2NR
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the site is a suitable location for development having regard to local and national policy for housing and accessibility
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area, including the setting of the Royal Military Canal scheduled monument
What decided it
The very significant harm to the character and appearance of the countryside, combined with the unsuitable and unsafe pedestrian accessibility of the site and heritage harm to the Royal Military Canal, was found to significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits even under the tilted balance.
the benefits of housing delivery, affordable housing, self/custom build provision, biodiversity net gain, open space and economic benefits were significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the harms to accessibility, character and appearance, and heritage setting under the tilted balance
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy HOU5Policy SP1Policy SP2Policy SP6Policy TRA5Policy ENV3aPolicy ENV13
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 115Paragraph 117Paragraph 110Paragraph 129Paragraph 187Paragraph 202Paragraph 212Paragraph 213Paragraph 215
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Ashford Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Dismissed8 October 20266012673Land 150metres East by Southeast of Barkleys Farm, Burnthouse Lane, Smarden, TN27 8QQ
- Allowed9 April 20263368725Land Adjacent to the Bull Inn, Bethersden, Ashford, TN26 3LB
- Dismissed7 April 20266003396Barn South of Chart Court Barn, Pluckley Road, Little Chart, Ashford, Kent, TN27 0QH
- Allowed30 March 20266002407Belvedere Stables, High Halden Road, Nr Ashford, Kent, TN30 6SY
- Dismissed17 December 2025337270758 Otterden Close, Stanhope, Kent, TN23 5TH
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.